Disconcert
by misterreese
Summary: In a world where 9/11 never happened, John Reese finds himself living the ideal life. But are things really better this way?
1. The Beginning

AN: I know the first chapter is short, later chapters will be longer. Just setting up setting up a few plot points. Enjoy!

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It was an average morning; sidewalks were filling with people hustling to work, taxies were making their rounds, and small, corner-side baristas were busy making coffees. The garbage men were finishing their routes and all the newspaper stands were now open. Everything was normal.

On the street outside an apartment complex, the driver of a SUV failed to pay attention and rammed into the tail end of an expensive sports car. The sound of metal crunching echoed down the streets and the voices of the drivers yelling at one another carried even further. Their shouts invaded every apartment unit that they were beneath, including that of John Reese.

Reese turned in his bed, annoyed at the arguing strangers. He tried to close his eyes tighter but to no avail; he pulled a pillow over his head. The extra insulation from the noise made no difference, and Reese tossed the pillow aside as he sat up in bed. Getting ready to go yell at the quarreling drivers, he was quickly distracted by his surroundings. Reese wasn't in his apartment. He quickly scanned the bedroom and realized he had no idea where he was or how he got there.

Reese shoved the blankets off of himself and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. His feet were met with plush white carpet. He glanced down, but something more important grabbed his attention. Slowly, he raised his left hand in front of his face. There was a simple golden band wrapped around his ring finger. The precious metal glinted lightly in the morning sun. Reese's eyebrows furrowed out of great confusion. The ring felt alien on his finger. He pulled at it gently and removed the piece of jewelry. There was a tan line where the ring had been. Reese tested the weight in his hand and found an inscription on the inside: _"Forever and always." _

Unsure of what to do with the ring; Reese slipped it back on his finger. Upon further inspection of his own hand, his line of sight was directed to the night stand. His eyes widened a bit as he picked up the picture that was displayed. It was a picture of him and Jessica, obviously at their wedding. Jessica looked beautiful and radiant in what had to be the most beautiful dress Reese had ever seen. His thumb glided over the glass. They both looked so jovial. In the corner of the picture was a date. In scripted text it read, 'October 20, 2002.' Slightly shaken at the current reality, he set the picture down and stared at the wall.

Reese closed his eyes and reopened them a second later. He was still sitting in the bedroom, surrounded by an unfamiliar environment. He pulled his hand over his face and slapped himself on his cheek. The impact stung, but soon faded. Whatever this was, it was actually happening. It wasn't a dream. Reese tore his gaze from the wall and looked out the window; he was met with a sight that caused his jaw to drop.

Pushing himself off the bed, Reese leaned against the window sill and attempted to fight off a wave of vertigo. He couldn't believe what was looking at. Rising above the skyline was the World Trade Center, the north tower proudly flying the American flag. "What the hell is going on?" he said aloud as he watched the sun rise from behind the towers.


	2. The Dog

AN: I changed the year on the photograph from the first chapter. I had an awkward brain fart and forgot that Jessica and John had known each other for six months as of 9/11 and for some reason I thought that was in 2006... anyway. Enjoy the second chapter!

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Reese placed his hand on the glass, the surface cold to the touch. He leaned forward, his mind heavy with confusion. Reese found his breathing to be unsteady; with each breath he fogged the window. How was any of this happening? Reese closed his eyes to regulate his breathing and attempt to get his heart rate under control. Lost in thought, he heard his name called out. Reese turned quickly, it was Jessica's voice. He waited a beat and heard her again. "John? Are you awake?" She called up the stairs.

Startled, he made his way to the door. In the process he slammed his toes into the edge of a hope chest that was sitting at the foot of the bed. John yelped and cursed as he hopped around on one foot. The chest was solid wood and he kicked the piece of furniture with great force. Gingerly he tested his weight, nothing was broken but there was significant discomfort. Reese took a moment to examine the bedroom. It appeared that it was the size of the whole floor, except for a bathroom that was located towards the back side.

With a slight limp, Reese approached the staircase. It was an open stairwell, but had a door at the bottom that was slightly cracked open. Reese took each step carefully; a part of him wished that he had a gun. He had no idea what was going on, this could have been some elaborate scheme. Pictures could be fabricated, a ring slipped on his finger. His mind searched for an explanation for the Twin Towers, but he let the thought go as he reached the bottom of the stair case. Reese slowly pushed the door open the rest of the way. He was met with a wide hallway that had three doors.

The first door was a second bathroom, the second was a closet. Reese reached for the third door when he heard Jessica's voice again and shortly after she appeared around the corner. "Are you alright? I heard you yell." She said approaching him.

Reese could only stare, it was really her; alive and two feet away from him. He took in the sight. She was even more beautiful than he could have ever remembered. She was dressed in a pair of relaxed jeans and a flowing peach blouse. There was a kitchen towel hung over her shoulder and on her left ring finger were two rings, an engagement and wedding ring. "John?" She asked, now standing six inches away from him.

"Oh, I'm fine… I uh, stubbed my toe on the um," He fumbled for his words. "The uh, chest at the end of the bed," He said finally. Jessica smiled and laughed lightly.

"That is the third time since we've moved here you've done that and it has only been a week. We really should move it somewhere else before you break your toes." She leaned in and gave him a good morning kiss. "Breakfast is almost ready." She said turning back down the hallway. "While I finish up, can you let the dog out of the cage?"

Reese furrowed his brow again. What dog? It didn't take him long to realize what she was talking about and smile quickly formed on his face. Bear. "Yes, of course." Reese looked around, wondering where the cage was. He found the cage in the living room. It was covered in a blanket and appeared to be too small for a Belgian Shepard. He unlocked the door and the dog came out. It was not Bear. It was a small, fluffy white dog; a Bichon Frise. Reese stared at the small animal and it yipped back at him before running into the kitchen. It was wearing a pink collar with a small bell that jingled as it ran.

Reese kept staring at the spot that the dog had previously been for a few more seconds until he blinked rapidly and followed the dog towards the kitchen. Jessica was behind a large island when Reese appeared in the door way. "Is that Bear?" He asked and pointed to the dog.

"Bear," Jessica questioned, she gave him a quizzical look. "No, that's Princess. Who is Bear?" Reese made a face himself as he watched the fluff ball drink some water.

"Who named the dog, Princess?" Reese had no idea why he would have a dog named Princess, or a breed that seemed like it would be afraid of a leaf. Jessica walked around the island and laid the back of her hand over his forehead.

"Are you feeling okay?" She asked, moving her hand to lay it palm side down on his cheek. "We told Kara she could name the dog and she picked Princess." Jessica moved her hand away from his face. "Remember? I know you weren't thrilled, but it is what she wanted."

"Kara? Like as in Kara Stanton?" Reese asked quickly, wondering why his old handler would be naming a toy-breed of a dog Princess.

Jessica narrowed her eyes for a moment. "No, Kara your daughter, who is Kara Stanton?" Jessica had walked back to the stove and paid attention to her cooking. She didn't see Reese's reaction.

Instantly, if felt as if someone had turned up the gravity and Reese stumbled back against the door frame and leaned heavily onto it. He was about to ask Jessica to repeat what she had just said when he heard a small voice come from behind him. "Good morning, Papa." The voice said. Reese spun around and was greeted by a small child, six or seven years old. She looked just like Jessica except she had dark hair and bright blue eyes. She was dressed in a white floral dress and white strappy sandals. Reese couldn't help but stare at the child, he had a daughter. How could he have a daughter?

"Mama," Kara said as she walked into the kitchen. "Papa is still in his night clothes." The little girl said as she climbed up one of the bar stools that was seated along the island. Reese looked down at his attire; he was dressed in a simple pair of dark green and blue plaid pajama pants and a gray t-shirt. It wasn't what he had fallen asleep in the night before. As he thought about it, he passed out on his couch with his suit pants and white undershirt.

Jessica placed a glass of orange juice in front of Kara and looked up at her husband. "Indeed he is." She said giving Reese a knowing look and her daughter and wink. "And if he doesn't hurry up and get ready, he is going to be late for his first day of work." Jessica said as she looked at Kara but directed the comment to Reese.

"Work," Reese repeated. He searched the back of his mind to figure out what 'work' could be. The only answer he retrieving was his partnership with Finch and tracking down the irrelevant numbers; a job that never technically had a first day.

Jessica shook her head as she walked around to the other side of the island. "Yes work, the job that you have been trying to get for two years now?" She walked up to John and gave him a light kiss. "Now, go get ready and your breakfast will be waiting for you." She gave him a little slap on the rear that caused Reese to jump. Jessica grinned as Reese turned to go back upstairs and watched Jessica over his shoulder.

As he walked away, he could hear Kara ask for a bowl of cereal and Jessica asking which kind she wanted. The walk back upstairs was a daze. Reese looked at all the pictures on the walls; there were nails where more pictures were going to be hung up. He stopped at the top of the stairs and removed one of the pictures from its spot. It was him with Jessica at a hospital and a little baby wrapped in a soft pink blanket. Jessica was smiling at the camera, but John was enamored with the baby. It appeared he wasn't even aware there was someone with a camera.

Reese smiled but had a distinct feeling of sadness. He had no recollection of this event, one that seemed to have brought him great joy. But to him the moment was just a photograph, nothing more. Reese replaced the picture to its spot and continued to the bathroom.

In a few minutes he had stripped of his clothes and was in the shower. Everything felt real enough; the water running over his body, the kiss from Jessica, stubbing his toe. But he lacked any explanation for how this was happening. He wondered where Finch was, but had no idea where to look for him. He figured the best thing he could do was act as if things were normal and sort things out on the side. Fabricated or not, he didn't want to make Jessica panic by professing none of this was real or that she is supposed to be dead.

After he toweled off he went to the closet to get dressed. He put on a pair of black slacks and he moved shirts around until he found one that had 'Orchard Security' embroidered on to the left chest. He removed the shirt from the hanger, it was his size. He put it on and tucked the ends into his pants. Reese checked his outfit in the mirror. The shirt was purple in color and he made a face. Did he really work at a place called 'Orchard'?

Reese looked around the room and saw a wallet sitting on a night stand, he opened the billfold and he was greeted by his face on the license. He pocked the wallet, keys and cell phone sitting nearby as well. Reese grabbed a pair of shoes before heading back downstairs.

Jessica and Kara were still in the kitchen, laughing at the dog. Jessica looked up, "Well, look at you." She said with a smile. "Where's the tie?" She asked pointing to his chest. Reese looked down at his tieless attire. Jessica disappeared to a different room and came back with a black tie and clip. "You'd probably forget your head if I wasn't around." She said looping the fabric around his neck and tying the knot. She smoothed the fabric before clipping the tie to his shirt.

Jessica nodded, approving of her own work. "You are going to be late; you'll have to grab something to eat one the way there." She said before giving him another kiss. Reese smiled, he could get used to this.

"I'll do my best." He said before stealing another, rather aggressive kiss from his wife. Jessica laughed and pushed him off of her. Reese turned to leave before Kara called out.

"What about me, Papa?" She asked between bites of her cereal. Reese stared at the girl for a second and waited. "Don't I get a kiss too?" Kara finally asked. Reese smiled and nodded. He walked over and gave her a light kiss on her forehead. She reached up and put her arms around his neck for a hug and returned the favor by placing a kiss on his cheek. "Love you, Papa." She said before letting him go and returning to her cereal.

Reese smiled at the little girl before brushing locks her thick brown hair from her face. Kara had already busied herself with her cereal as Reese turned to leave. Jessica walked with him to the door. "You'll be great, I just know it. See you when you get home." She leaned up and gave him one more kiss before he left the apartment.


	3. The Company

AN: Apologies for the rather long wait. It's midterms week. Enjoy!

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The walk through New York City didn't feel any different than before. The only things out of place to him were the tall and matching skyscrapers that dominated the skyline. Reese didn't know what to think or even how to think of this situation. Never before could he have imagined what his life would have been like if had stayed with Jessica, gone with her or even told her to wait. He wasn't sure what was going on, whether this was some elaborate hoax or he was laying somewhere with an altered state of mind, but what Reese did know, was that he was interested to see what was going to happen next.

On his walk to Orchard, he quickly realized that he hadn't a clue where this company was located. Reese was certain that this corporation was new to whatever reality he was currently living in. He stopped at a newspaper stand and asked for directions. The employee gave him a wild look; he glanced to Reese's shirt that clearly displayed the Orchard logo. The man was confused that an employee of such a prestigious company would need to be directed there. Reese explained that it was his first day and he had turned himself around with his directions.

With a smile and a wave Reese thanked the man for the help. The quickest way to get there was the subway, to take the E train to the Orchard subway stop. As Reese rode the train he realized that the company he worked for must have had some serious influence over the city if there was a stop on the subway named after it. He almost pulled out his phone to Google the company, but he had arrived at his destination. What information he needed to learn about Orchard was going to have to be first hand.

Orchard wasn't difficult to miss, the employee at the newspaper stand described the building as purple and he wasn't lying. As Reese exited the subway he was overcome by the rather peculiar building. Standing at what appeared to be ninety stories; Orchard was a glass structure and the windows were tinted the same purple hue of Reese's shirt. The front of the building was surrounded by a rather vast court yard. Landscaped with bushes and trees that was trimmed and pruned to perfection and surrounded a large fountain in the center of the area. There were benches and tables for the employees and general public to use. There was a distinct feeling of welcome to the building.

Reese walked through the court yard and was surrounded by the sweet smell of the blooming flower beds. Over the door was the Orchard logo was proudly displayed with the company's mission statement underneath, _"Bringing the future to you." _Reese chuckled at the slogan; it was descriptive enough to seem motivational but at the same time vague enough that it seemed pretty meaningless. Reese walked through a revolving door and into the main lobby.

The atmosphere inside was drastically different than the tranquil feel of the courtyard. There were people everywhere. Businessmen and women were going to and from meetings, telephones ringing in every which direction. The reception area appeared to be more like a switch board than a welcome desk. Not wanting to bother the women on the phone, Reese found the directory. It appeared that almost everything done at Orchard could be executed in his building. There were seventeen floors dedicated to research and development, another three to public relations. Other floors were assigned to the administration and staff, human resources and even rooms for things as specific as medical benefits.

Reese stopped before he got to the top, where the CEO and other high ranking employee offices were located; he found what he was looking for. Security was located on floors eighty-eight and eighty-nine. Locating the elevator, he pressed the floor for eighty-eight. The ride was quick, it would have gone by faster but a rider didn't know which floor they wanted. This resulted in stopping on every floor between sixty-one and sixty-eight. Reese finally exited the elevator at his desired location. It was much quieter up here, there were the voices of a few people talking on phones and a printer in the distance but it was much more relaxed than the hectic main lobby.

A young brunette sat behind a desk that wasn't far from the entrance of the elevator. She looked up from the magazine she was skimming and smiled when she saw Reese. "Hello, what can I help you with?" She asked in a sweet tone.

Reese walked over to the desk and returned the smile. "It's my first day of work." He said, finding that he sounded like a lost teenager with their first job.

The receptionist beamed. "Wonderful. What is your name?" She asked as she moved the computer mouse to bring the machine out of hibernation. He told her that his name was John Reese. She clacked the keys with her manicured nails and scrunched her face. "I'm afraid that name doesn't appear in the database." She said as she typed something else. Reese's brow furrowed, how was he not in there? "There appears to be a John Terns starting as the new of head of security today." The young woman peered up at Reese from behind her computer screen.

John Terns…? Reese's mind raced to find the answer, the name sounded familiar. Then he realized that was him, before the CIA while he was still in the army and dating Jessica back in 2001. "Right, yes. That's me." He claimed with a sheepish smile. "John Terns," He repeated the name, it had been years since he heard it last.

The young secretary narrowed her eyes at him for a moment. It was obvious she was thinking that he was a little crazy. "Can I see some identification?" She asked finally. Reese fished his wallet out of his back pocket and slowly opened it. A part of him feared that the license was going to say John Reese or one of the other man cover ID's that he had used over the years. As he looked down, Reese was relieved to see that it had his birth name printed under his picture: John Harrison Terns.

Reese handed over his ID and she looked between the picture and Reese several times before she was satisfied with what she was looking at. She returned the ID to Reese and slipped it back into his wallet. "Just testing the security around here, huh, Mr. Terns?" She joked as she typed without paying attention to the keyboard.

"Yes, I was just testing you. You passed." Reese said, going along with the supposed trick. A few seconds passed and she handed him some papers and a visitor badge. She informed him that he would only have the visitor badge for a few days, until his personal one was created.

"Your office is up stairs and in the back." The reception explained as she reached for her magazine, becoming bored with the new encounter. "Welcome to Orchard, Mr. Terns. She offered him another smile, one that had a flirty quality to it.

Reese thanked the woman, making a mental note of the woman's name, Angela Ruskin. He located the stairs and went up one flight; there was no need to take the elevator for one floor. The second floor of the security department looked almost identical to the one below. There was another secretary at the elevator, this time it was a young man with red hair. He seemed much more intent with his work than Angela had been. The young man glanced up as he heard Reese approaching and waved him over.

The young man's name was Elliot McNeil. Reese explained who he was, showed him the visitor badge and his ID one more time and after McNeil was satisfied that Reese was who he claimed to be, he pressed a button that unlocked the doors that granted access to the higher level of security. McNeil explained that once he got his own badge he will be to swipe himself into the offices using the keycard reader next to the door.

The door was made of heavier wood than Reese expected; of course nothing could expected today. The upper level security floor was just as quiet as the lower, but had a more somber feel to it. It quickly became obvious to Reese that the serious work was executed up here. It also became very obvious that Reese had no idea what any of that work was.

None of the employees looked up from their desks as Reese walked through the offices. In one of the rooms a small meeting was taking place and a few employees had gathered around a coffee maker in the lounge area. Reese walked towards the back of the floor, where his office was supposed to be located. Every other door was marked with a first initial and last name, when Reese found the one door with no name, he assumed it was his. The door was unlocked and entered into the room. The space was empty save for a decent sized desk, a chair and a few filing cabinets.

Reese was distracted by the view his office offered him; he could see all the way to the water. Nothing was tinted purple as he looked out the window, but as the sun reflected off the glass, purple spots were shimmering on surrounding buildings. Reese continued to look out the window and didn't hear someone enter the room. A few moments later, there was a knock on the door in hope to not startle him. Reese turned around to see an older woman, dressed in a gray tweed skirt suit.

"Mr. Terns, I presume?" She asked. The woman had graying hair that was pulled back into a neat bun, a pair of modern frames sitting low on her nose and a broach of the Orchard logo pinned to her jacket. "I'm Mrs. Beckfield, but you may call me Sylvia." She adjusted a few papers under her arm. "I'm your personal secretary." Sylvia informed him as she entered his office and placed the stack of papers on his desk. "It's a pleasure to have you." She said with a smile.

Reese glanced at the papers and back to the woman. "Thank you, it's a pleasure to be here." He offered his hand to Sylvia who shook it with surprising strength. Reese flexed his hand when she finally released him.

"Unfortunately, I don't have much time to sit down with you at the moment." Sylvia started, getting straight into business. "You have a meeting with Mr. Wren in five minutes." She said separating the stacks of paper into different groups over his desk. "But when you return, you'll have to fill out these forms to get your employee badge and to approve your security clearance." She turned to him, to see a confused look on his face. "Something wrong, Mr. Terns?"

"Who did you say I have meeting with?" He asked; Reese didn't process the other information she told him, he was still stuck on that name.

"Mr. Wren." Sylvia repeated, "The owner of Orchard?" She said with a questioning tone. "His office is one flight up, very difficult to miss. He's expecting you, so just go on in when you get there." She finished messing with the papers and prepared to leave. "I'll start setting up your email and voice mail accounts." Reese nodded, still slightly absent minded and his secretary left the room.

Reese stood still for another few seconds before shaking his head and leaving his office as well. Sylvia smiled at him as he walked past her desk, which was right outside his door. Reese went back to the stairwell and took one more flight upstairs. His mind was swimming; there was no way that Mr. Wren was Harold Wren, Harold Finch. It couldn't be.

The top floor wasn't as secured as the floor his office was located, leading Reese to believe that the floor he worked on held sensitive information or other valuables. The top floor was rather sparse; there were no extra offices, no cubicles. There was a large room with windows reaching from the floor the ceiling that appeared to be a meeting space, there was a small lounge and a space for another secretary. Just as Sylvia had informed him, Mr. Wren's office wasn't difficult to find.

A gold plated name plaque was on the door, it read: "Harold R. Wren, CEO." Reese stared at the name for a moment, still unaccepting of the man who was supposed to be located behind the door. Realizing that he was stalling, Reese finally knocked and heard a voice beckoned him inside. He turned the handle and let himself in.

Reese was greeted with a smile by the CEO, but the only reaction that he could return was his mouth gapping. The owner of Orchard was indeed the Harold Wren he believed it to be. Harold Finch. Reese felt like he had to splash cold water in his face. From what he could tell, this company was a very large corporation and recognized over the country and Harold Finch; who had to be the world's most private person, was the owner. Finch was talking to Reese, introducing himself and explaining the company but he wasn't listening.

The walls behind Finch's desk had framed magazine covers that were featuring either Orchard or Finch himself; distinguished titles such as Forbes, Time, Wired, Sharper Image and People. Harold was still dressed in the high quality suits that he chose to wear and had the same sleek, rectangle glasses. The only major difference was that as he walked around his office there was no limp. After a moment, Reese realized that Finch had stopped talking and was staring at him, waiting for a response.

"Oh yes, I'm very glad to be here." Reese said with a forced smile as Finch extended his hand to him, welcoming him to Orchard.


End file.
